Combination house number and mail chute



June 14, 1932. w. H. SHERICK 1,863,526

COMBINATION HOUSE NUMBER AND MAIL CHUTE Filed June 2. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 14, 1932. w. H. SHERICK COMBINATION nouss NUMBER AND MAIL GHUTE Filed June 2, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I l l I l I I I l l i x L Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT WILLIS H. SHERICK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 CHESTER D. SHERICK, OF WASHINGTON BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA COMBINATION HOUSE NUMBER AND MAIL GH'UTE Application filed June 2, 1931. Serial No. 541,638.

This invention relates to mail chutes of that type used in connection with the front doors of houses, and has for one of its objects to provide a closure for a chute of this character which shall be adapted to carry the num ber of the house in connection with which the chute is used and which shall be adapted to permit the number to be illuminated at night by the light of the room or hall into which the door opens. I

The invention has for a further object to provide a mail chute closure of the character stated which shall embody a frame adapted to be swingingly supported in the outer end of the chute, and a transparent or opaque panel mounted in the frame and bearing opaque or transparent numerals representing the number of the house in connection with which the chute is used, the numerals being I opaque when the panel is transparent and transparent when the panel is opaque to the end that the rays from a hall or room light passing through the chute may illuminate the house number.

With the foregoing and other objects view, the nature of which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein 7 Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the front door of a house equipped with a mail chute having a closure constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale of the mail chute and a fragmentary portion of the door.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on a plane extending vertically and centrally through the mail chute.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the horizontal plane indicated by the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 55 of Figure 4:.

Figure 6 is a view in side elevation of the mail chute closure.

Figure 7 is a view in end elevation of the mail chute closure.

Figure 8 is a view in side elevation of a slightly modified form of the mail chute closure.

. Figure 9 is a view in end elevation of-the closure shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view in side elevation of further modified form of the mail chute clo-' sure.

Figure 11 is a view in end elevation of the closure shown in Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a view in front elevation of a section of the panel of the mail chute closure.

Figure 13 is a view in edge elevation of the panel section.

Figure 1 1 is a sectional view illustrating a slightly modified means for swingingly supporting the closure in the mail chute, and

Figure 15 is an elevational view of this 0 means for supporting the closure. 7

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 des ignates the front door of a house, 2 a mail chute or slot formed in the door, 3 an outer and 4 an inner plate for the mail chute, and 5 5 the closure for the mail chute.

The outer plate 3 is provided with lugs 6 which are recessed in the door 1 and which receive the outer ends of machine screws 7- which pass through the door and serve to secure the plate in applied position. The outer plate 3 is provided with an opening S, the vertical and horizontal dimensions of which are smaller than the corresponding dimensions of the mail chute 2 and through 5' which the mail is inserted into the chute.

If desired, wood screws 9 may also be used to secure the outer plate 3 in place, and when used such screws pass through the plate and engage the door 1. The inner plate 4 is secured in place by wood screws 10. This plate extends over the heads of the machine screws 7, and is provided with an opening 11 having horizontal and vertical 7 dimensions similar to those of the mail chute 2 and through which the mail passes into the room or hall into which the door 1 opens.

The closure 5 which is located within the outer end portion of the mail chute 2, comprises a frame 12 and a panel 13. The frame we 12 is provided at its upper corners with lugs 14 which are of angular formation in cross section and which fit in brackets or cars 15 to swingingly support the closure 5, the brackets or ears being carried by the outer plate 3, and provided with recesses 16 for the reception of the lugs. A modified form of the means for swingingly supporting the closure 5 is shown in Figures 14 and 15, this means consisting of ears 17 carried by the outer plate 3, and machine screws 18 passing freely through the ears and engaging in the ends of the closure.

The closure 5 is yieldingly held in closed position by a spring 19 which consists of a coil 20 and arms 21 and 22 extending from the coil in angular relation to each other. The coil 20 is located at the inner side of the frame 12 and is right an gularly related thereto. The downwardly directed spring arm 21 is secured to the closure 5 by lugs 23 carried by and extending inwardly from one end member of the frame 12, and the inwardly directed spring arm 22 is secured to the upper wall of the mail chute 2, as shown at 24. The spring 19, in addition to normally holding the closure 5 in closed position, exerts a downward pressure on the closure so as to hold its pivot lugs 14 against accidental displacement from the recesses 16 of the cars 15. v

The closure frame 12 is provided in the upper and lower members thereof with longitudinally extending grooves 25 for the reception of the upper and lower edge portions of the panel 13. The panel receiving grooves of the frame 12 may be open at their ends, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, they may be open at one end and closed at the other, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, or they may be closed at both ends, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the grooves being designated 25a in Figures 8 and 9 and 25b in Figures 10 and 11. When the frame 12 is provided with the grooves 25 or the grooves 2501., the panel 13 will be of i such height as to snugly contact with the upper and lower walls of the grooves. WVhen the frame 12 is provided with the grooves 256 the panel 13 will be suificiently shorter than the distance between the upper and lower walls of the grooves to permit it to be inserted in the grooves, and it is held firmly within the frame by springs 26 bearing against the bottom wall of the lower groove and against the lower edge of the panel.

The panel 13 is preferably of sectional formation, and each section 13a thereof bears one or more'numerals of a house number. The panel sections 13a may be transparent or opaque. WVhen the panel sections 13a are transparent the numerals will be opaque, and when they are opaque the numerals will be transparent, to the end that light rays passing outwardly through the mail chute 2 will render the house number clearly visible at night. The inner end of the mail chute 2 is fully open to permit rays from the light in the room or hall into which the door opens to illuminate the house number.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that I have provided a simple and highly eflicient means through the medium of which the mail chute of a house may be closed and through the medium of which the number of the house may be illuminated at night by the light in the hall or room into which opens the door carrying the mail chute, that such means does not in any way interfere with the placing of mail in the chute, that the formationof the panel of such means in sections enables such means to be readily provided with the required house number, and that such means can be manufactured and sold at low cost.

While I have described the principle of the invention, together with the structure which I now consider the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed' What is claimed is A closure for a mail chute,'comprising an outer plate provided with an opening for registration with the chute, ears extending inwardly from the plate at the upper corners of the opening therein, the ears being provided in their upper edges with recesses, an open frame located at the inner side of the plate between the ears, lugs extending longitudinally from the upper corners of the frame and positioned in said recesses to swingingly suspend the frame from the plate, a panel secured within the frame and bearing indicia for illumination by light rays passing outwardly through the chute, and a coil spring located at the inner side of the frame in a right angular position with relation thereto and having a downwardly directed arm secured to the inner side of the frame and an inwardly directed arm adapted to be secured to a wall of the chute, the spring acting to normally hold the frame and panel against the inner side of theplate and constantly urging the frame and panel downwardly to hold the lugs against accidental displacement from the recesses of the ears.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature. V

WILLIS I-I. SHERIGK. 

